Teenage Angst

I have a son, 16 years of age, who has surpassed my height now.  I find myself unconsciously standing straighter, trying to be taller next to the young punk.  It's rather disconcerting to look slightly UP to someone whom you've always heretofore looked down at.  Hmph!  It feels unnatural, weird, and generally not right.

13 years ago, my wife took the chubby-cheeked, platinum blonde little guy to the doctor, who commented that "He's a big one."  After a series of tests, the doctor, with raised eyebrows, concluded that the boy  would end up being between 6'6" and 6'8" tall when he had completed his growth cycle.  That made MY eyebrows raise.

At this point, the "boy" is 6'3", and probably not done growing.  He is a basketball machine.  Although not yet of giant stature, he is rather large, eats sort of like a LARGE horse, and has size 15 feet!  Heavens to Mergatroid, that's a big kid!

So we just finished tournament number 3.  The boy's team took first in the state of Ohio (homeschool), and we still have to go to Missouri for the final tournament - Nationals.  Lord have mercy, that's a whole bunch of tournaments.  You'd think the kid had joined the NBA or something.  Now he's having to make a new decision, and make it by this Saturday - whether to try out for an AAU team, or go to a basketball "school", either of which costs more than seems to be trickling in to our bank account these days.

So we had to tell the poor little fella that he'd just have to find another solution to his hoop dreams, like an AAU team that doesn't travel, or a job perhaps?  Or both.  The kid IS an amazing basketball player, usually making his opponents look bad, no matter what shade of melanin they may contain.  Makes me chuckle, makes me happy, too.

I can easily see the guy winning a scholarship to some level of university, whether D1 or other, I don't know.  He seems to have his sights set on going to a Christian college somewhere or other, and playing ball for them. Afterward, he is thinking he'll perhaps play for a European team, and then who knows?

Thank you for your support!

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